Vegetarians can relate when Kermit sings "it's not easy bein' green." No matter how hard they try to explain their dietary preferences, some people will still say things like, "Surely you can eat chicken, right? I mean, chicken's not meat!" Whether they're vegetarian for health reasons, or because they're against animal cruelty, or they want to lessen their carbon footprint - many people find it difficult to understand, and think it won't hurt if they offer a vegetarian food that "just has very little meat." It's even harder for vegans, who don't eat anything with animal products. It might seem strange at first, but vegans will tell you that life without cheese isn't bad. In fact, it's really good - according to the Environmental Working Group's Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change and Health, cheese has the third-highest carbon footprint, with greenhouse gas emissions of over three car miles driven per four ounces consumed. "Meat and dairy production requires large amounts of pesticides, chemical fertilizer, fuel, feed and water; and generates greenhouse gases, toxic manure and other pollutants that contaminate our air and water," the guide says. As vegetarian Sir Paul McCartney puts it, "If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat." "But what do you eat?" is perhaps the most frequently asked question for vegetarians. "Don't you get tired of eating just vegetables?" is another. The idea of not eating meat may be daunting at first, but there are plenty of alternatives. The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has a helpful Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit. They suggest getting protein from whole grains, beans, lentils, tofu, nuts and veggie meats; iron from beans, cashews, raisins, spinach, and tomato juice; and vitamin b12 from fortified cereal, soy milk and multivitamins. The guide also has recipes and meal planning suggestions, as well as tips for what to do when traveling and going to parties. But what happens when you want to eat out? Of course, vegetarians know that not eating meat does not translate to boring meals. In fact, vegetarian dining is can be a very colorful experience. Whether you're pescetarian, ovo-lacto vegetarian, or vegan, here are some options for sensitive eaters, from A to Z.
Vegetables have a knack for fitting in more than one meal category. For instance, avocado can be a tasty appetizer, like guacamole. Or it can be a sweet and spicy dessert, like
Hill Station's homemade avocado jalapeno ice cream.
ArAma If you're looking for something a bit special, ArAma Cafe is a cozy garden restaurant where vegetarians can happily chomp on Cassava Chips in Probiotic Dip, Spinach Ravioli, and other meat-free dishes that are all organic. They also have a Veganite Burger Meal for 250 pesos.
Serendra Piazza, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig 9013836 Azotea Greens Listed by PETA as one of the top ten vegetarian restaurants in the Philippines, Azotea Greens along Session Road in Baguio City offers Pinoy vegetarian dishes like adobo, afritada, nilaga, and kaldereta. They also sell frozen mock meat for stocking in your fridge.
2/F La Azotea Building, Session Road, Baguio City Bliss Cafe Bliss Cafe is another staple stop for vegetarian tourists in Baguio. Apart from affordable overnight rates at their cozy space, they have an all-vegetarian menu that offers dishes from Filipino to Mediterranean.
Hotel Elizabeth, Gibraltar Street, Baguio City (074)6190367 Bodhi Even food courts have vegetarian options. At least the ones in SM branches like Cubao, North EDSA, Megamall, South Mall, Manila, and Makati. Bodhi (sometimes Evergreen) serves deceptively meaty looking dishes, from bopis to beef broccoli. They also have a main branch on Banawe Street in Quezon City.
SM Foodcourts 878 Banawe Street 4122910 Caffe Dolce At this cafe, food is healthy and compassionate. They have burgers and patties, but they assure you that everything is 101% vegetarian. From their Taipan Shabu-Shabu with Noodles to their Tropical Fruit Pizza, it's a very sweet life at this recently-opened vegetarian cafe.
Mezzanine Level, 848 Banawe Street corner Linaw Street, Q.C. 7824055 Chimara Neo-Vegan Cafe This movie snack counter serves much more than just popcorn - from meatless tacos to soy ice cream. Their Pita Wraps are very filling, and once you try the Tofu Chips, it's going to be extremely difficult to stop.
4th Floor, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City 757-5652 Corner Tree Cafe This tiny shop at the corner of Jupiter has a large tree right in front of it. It's a little place with a cute name, but they have food for large vegetarian appetites - from a kiddie menu to large takeaway orders.
Jupiter Street corner Saturn Street, Bel-Air, Makati City 8970295 Daily Veggie N'Cafe Along Banawe street in Quezon City, this Chinese vegetarian restaurant serves ovo-lacto dishes that can also be adjusted to more specific diets. They also sell refrigerated and dry vegetarian goods for your pantry.
540 Banawe Street, Quezon City 7118209 Dr. Tam's Vegan House Surrounded by bars, Dr. Tam's Vegan House is a surprising find at Metrowalk. Here, vegans can order anything from the menu without having to worry that there might be chicken broth in their soup. In fact, the food here has no meat, no dairy products, and no preservatives. But you can't tell from the selection, which includes Kare Kare (served with mock bagoong) and Mechado.
2nd Floor, Metrowalk, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City 633-9877 Edgy Veggy Sometimes, you're too lazy to cook but don't want to eat out. For vegetarians, there's Edgy Veggy at the Legaspi market in Makati on Sundays, but they can also deliver vegetarian food to your doorstep. From tofu dishes to salads and rice meals, Edgy Veggy offers protein-packed dishes that are absolutely meat-free. Just make sure to order in advance.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Edgy-Veggy-Vegetarian-Food/107917256725?sk=info 09189089958 ECHOcafe From the sustainable lifestyle Echostore comes the ECHOcafe, where you can eat vegetarian food for a cause. The healthy meals are all-natural, and the ingredients come from local communities.
Ground Level, Serendra Piazza, Taguig Friuli Trattoria Italian restaurants like Friuli are a good bet when you need meat-free options. With dishes like Zuppa di Cippolle to Antonio's Pizza, places like these are a no-fuss destination to bring your vegetarian date. Even the Godfather would approve.
79A Maginhawa St., UP Village, Quezon City 4341416 Good Burgers Not to be confused with the 1997 movie "Good Burger," this roadside kitchen along C5 road serves reasonably priced and creatively named burgers like the seriously hot Silly Burger. But the best thing about Good Burgers is they have veggie burgers, and they deliver, too.
C5 Road/ Maginhawa 6714242/4354663 Green Wok Deli and Cafe Not far from U.P. Diliman is Green Wok Deli and Cafe, where Filipino dishes like sisig, adobo, paksiw and even dinuguan come in vegetarian versions with playful names like Bean-nuguan.Their Green Wok Burger is also a PETA Golden Bun Awardee as the "Best Value-for-Money Veggie Burger. Their frozen deli has an impressive selection, from ham to tea-smoked goose.
2nd Flr, Eagle Court Apartments, Matalino Street 5426790 Greens If your body is begging for a break from all the fast food,
Greens on Scout Castor is a great idea. Not far from busy Tomas Morato, it's a relaxing space where you can eat vegetarian versions of meaty favorites like sisig, without any of the guilt.
92 Sct. Castor Street, Quezon City 4154796 Happy Veggie Health Food Along Masangkay street in Binondo, this is a veggie haven with everything from siopao to veggie ham. Mock meat is the solution for vegetarians who still miss their carnivorous days.
958 Masangkay St., Binondo 2459257 Heart2Hearth Home-baked cupcakes are hard to beat when it comes to comfort food. Meeta Nanda makes the delicious treat even better with her assortment of non-dairy, eggless and nut-free goodies.
Salcedo Market (Saturdays) 09178053865 Ima's Gulay Bar If you find yourself in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, head to Ima's Gulay Bar for a vegetarian adventure. They have everything from sausage fajitas to mango pasta, as well as shakes in flavors like soy coffee and ginger.
46 Fernandez Street, Puerto Princesa City 09205333210 Juice Overcome your veggie-phobia by shaking things up. Did you know you can get your dose of
green leafy vegetables in a glass? It may sound gross, but it won't hurt to try.
Kitchen Revolution For gourmet vegetarian meals, there's an Alabang-based business that advocates plant-based cooking. They offer private chef services, healthy eating consultations, cooking classes and catering. Founded by Marie Gonzalez, the Kitchen Revolution wants both people and animals to be happy and healthy, along with the whole planet. Cooking classes are held every Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm.
http://kitchenrevolution.ph Kozui This stationery-cute
green tea cafe has vegetarian-friendly cuisine like the Minced Spinach Soup and Roasted Pumpkin Wrap. For dessert, the sweet and creamy Anmitsu is a happy ending to your healthy meal.
258 B Tomas Morato corner Scout Fernandez, Quezon City 4132705 Likha Diwa sa Gulod Hidden along C.P. Garcia is a colorful restaurant where you can take off your shoes, sit on the floor, and enjoy delicious vegetarian dishes made with locally grown vegetables. They also have seafood dishes for pescetarians. Whether you dine in or take home a bottle of vegetarian bagoong, you can be sure they don't use food coloring, preservatives, or MSG.
C.P. Garcia, Krus na Ligas, Quezon City 9255522 Malunggay This backyard vegetable is a very affordable way to get your iron, ascorbic acid, phosphorus and calcium needs. You can find it everywhere - from cupcakes to carrot juice.
Manila Adventist Medical Center When you hear "hospital food," appetizing is not what comes to mind. But for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, Manila Sanitarium means delicious meat-free dishes at very friendly prices. You can also buy freshly-baked bread to bring home.
45 Donada Street (near Taft Avenue corner Buendia) 5259191 Nomnomnom Nomnomnom is the sound you make while chomping on yummy food. It's also where you can find great-tasting vegetarian food with funny names like Talong and Lasting Love.
Tomas Morato corner E. Rodriguez, Quezon City 5022919 Oh My Gulay At the top of La Azotea Building along Session Road, stepping inside this Baguio cafe is like falling into a dream. Kidlat Tahimik's Oh My Gulay! is an art gallery and vegetarian restaurant where you can have Anak ng Puttanesca, Pasta Prima Donna, and other dishes with pun-ny names, all while enjoying a splendid view of Baguio City.
5/F La Azotea Building, Session Road, Baguio City Pipino Vegetables are not just side dishes.
Pipino gives veggies the star treatment they deserve with filling main dishes like cheeseless vegan lasagna. Leave space for dessert, because their dairy-free homemade ice cream is not to be missed.
9 Malingap, Teachers Vill, QC. 4411773 Quantum Cafe At
Quantum Cafe, they believe food is the best medicine. The spacious restaurant has been a venue for fliptop battles, writers workshops, art exhibits, and
geek fights, but the food alone is worth a visit.
9590 Kamagong cor. Bagtikan Street, Makati City Quan Yin Chay Vegetarian Food Garden I have a friend who is on a perpetual steak diet, which he only gives up for the occasional burger. But there is one exception to his meat-eating rule, and it's on Masangkay Street in Binondo. Whenever he wants to detox, he heads to Quan Yin Chay Vegetarian Food Garden, where they serve mock-meat Filipino dishes cafeteria-style.
821 Masangkay Street, Binondo, Manila 2433356 Rawvolution On Kamuning Road in Quezon City, Cheloy's Living Food Cuisine serves food that is organic, fresh, and alive for vegans and vegetarians. It sounds a bit scary, but this isn't Plants vs. Zombies. If you don't believe that pizza, and even a portobello mushroom steak, can be eaten raw, you just have to see for yourself.
Dona Julita Building Kamuning Road corner K-E Street, Q.C. 6871121 Sarten Cafe A trip to Antipolo may be daunting, but this picturesque dining spot is worth the traffic. The Plumpy Bumpy Pumpkin Soup and the Kesong Puti Pandesal are more than enough to cure any blues you might be having. Pair the Banana bread ala mode with a cup of coffee, and you'll feel like it's the first day of summer.
21 Don Juan St. Villa Cecilia Subdivision, Sumulong Highway, Antipolo City 6813708 Sugarleaf Sugarleaf on Wilson Street serves health food - but don't worry! If words like vegan, vegetarian, healthy, cleansing, protein and fiber creep you out, Sugarleaf's yummy concoctions will help you overcome your health-phobia. They also have a buffet for 400 pesos.
Health Cube Bldg 226 Wilson St Greenhills W San Juan , Metro Manila 385-0387 Swagat Indian Cuisine At this homey restaurant in Makati, food is always freshly cooked. They serve meat, but they also have plenty of vegetarian dishes, from yogurt to paneer.
FCC Building on Rada Street, Legaspi Village, Makati 7525669 Tofu Burger Burgers don't have to be a hundred percent beef to be satisfying. In fact, they can have no beef at all. At Corner Tree Cafe, the Baked Tofu Walnut Burger is a bestseller at 240 pesos. Good Burgers also has a veggie option for their tasty burgers, and
Blacksoup Cafe has an excellent Tofu Burger, proof that meatless burgers are healthy, filling and delicious.
Unit G, Maginhawa Building, 154 Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City 4352549 Uncle Moe's Yes, it's a shawarma place. But
Uncle Moe's serves vegetarian-friendly hummus, moutabal and tapenade - all excellent dips for the fresh pita bread served warm. It's definitely not a complete meal, but it's pretty filling as far as snacks go.
City Golf Arcade, Julia Vargas, Pasig City 4684787 Vegetables For a vegetarian, the simplest thing to eat is still fresh vegetables. Go back to basics, skip the canned goods, and find fresh fruits and vegetables at
markets like Sidcor.
Wabi-sabi When craving a big bowl of
steaming noodles, Wabi-Sabi is the place to go. Their all-vegetarian menu also has Pot Stickers, vegan ice cream and the very tasty Banh Mi sandwich. You can also get vegetarian items like fake chicharon at the small grocery.
7274 Malugay Street, Brgy. San Antonio, Makati 09184501714 Xavierville Along Xavierville avenue is
Blissful Belly, where you can get vegetarian meals at student-friendly prices. They serve meat-free versions of sisig, barbecue, and kare-kare. They also sell fresh fruit shakes and tofu.
Unit 215 Llanar Building, 77 Xavierville Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City 9203487 Yogi Yoga teacher Sharon Olaguer-Lim has been vegetarian all her life. It's not just about health - it's about physical and emotional harmony, and it's about faith.
Zucchini Zucchini is a versatile vegetable that can go into salads, sauce, casseroles, pasta, rice, and sandwiches. But did you know that
zucchini can also go into chocolate cake?
Ziggurat At the corner of Tigris and Euphrates in Makati is Ziggurat Cuisine Restaurant, where you can find Indian, Mediterranean, African and Middle Eastern cuisine. Vegetarians may not like the Tagine d'Autruche (stewed ostrich) or the Rabbit Kebab, but the menu also has plenty of meat-free options, from samosas to the Mezze Vege - a sampler of humus, mutabbal, jazar, mahroussa, aubergine caviar, hilbeh, dukkah and ratalu. Open 24 hours, they have everything from breakfast to midnight snacks.
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